White Water Paddling in Seattle, WA

About Seattle White Water Paddling

With so many snow-fed rivers running down from the Cascades, Washington is a terrific state for white water rafting. The Skykomish River, also known as “Sky River,” or just “The Sky” is the go-to destination from Seattle. The entire river is almost 30 miles long, with sections of everything from beginner to expert rapids. The 9-mile stretch from the edge of Gold Bar to Sultan, which includes fun class II rapids, is a good place to start. With wild yet forgiving rapids and plenty of summer sunshine, taking the 16-mile ride down the Wenatchee River from Leavenworth to Cashmere also makes for a good, family-friendly adventure. While this run is rated an intermediate Class III, it gets that grade from the rapids’ size rather than their technicality—and every one of them ends in a pool of calmer water, meaning that the stakes are relatively low. This river will be enjoyable for beginners and more advanced paddlers alike.

Just north of Olympic National Park, the Adventure Route of the Olympic Discovery Trail is one of the best mountain bike trails in the Olympic Peninsula, offering riders 25-miles of pristine Pacific Northwest singletrack.

Welcome to the Enchantments, arguably the most coveted, and highly regulated, backpacking destination in Washington—where you need a nearly-impossible-to-acquire overnight permit to explore....Or do you?